Stop Draughts With A Chimney Sheep Draught Excluder

08/09/2017 15:10

Draught Excluders for Chimneys

Keep the warmth in your home with a Chimney Sheep™

This time of year we all begin to realise the need to get the heating back on. But how much heat are you losing up your chimney?

Chimneys are designed to draw air up and out of a building. So if you’ve got the central heating on and the fire isn’t lit, all your precious warm air will disappear up the flue within an hour. Just put your hand in the flue and you’ll be astonished by how strong the chimney draught is. This escaping air needs to be replaced, so cold air is pulled in from under doors and round windows, creating the cold draughts we feel.

Now you can stop chimney draughts and reduce chimney heat loss with a Chimney Sheep™!

The Chimney Sheep™ is a thick layer of felted wool on a handle that plugs the gap just above the fireplace preventing warm air from escaping up the chimney and stopping cold air from coming down the chimney.

The Chimney Sheep Draught Excluder is made from 100% Herdwick wool

Herdwicks are hardy mountain sheep unique to Cumbria with thick wiry wool that keeps them warm all winter long. The wool has the perfect combination of stiffness to hold itself in place in the chimney throat and compressibility to fit a range of shapes and sizes.

It is also the perfect material for helping to solve damp issues. The wool is naturally breathable and will allow moisture to permeate through. If you have a problem with damp in a chimney it may be that the warm damp air is rising into the flue then condensing on the cold walls higher up. The Chimney Sheep will help to stop this from occuring.

How to Fit a Chimney Sheep

Just choose a Chimney Sheep™ that is an inch or two larger than the chimney opening, and fit it in the chimney to keep you snug and warm.

It is made of a thick layer of felt. This will squash into a range of apertures, and so long as it fits closely enough, will stay where it is. Sometime it holds better if you push it in then pull it down slightly, so it goes like an inside out umbrella. But it is not difficult to fit at all. The key is to make sure you have the right length of handle so you don't end up sticking your arm half way up the chimney.

If you want to light the fire, take it out, pop it in a Chimney Sheep™ wrap or plastic bag, and when the chimney is completely cold you can put it back in again. The fireplace draught excluder is very robust and can be re-used hundreds of times. It will last for years – just think how much money you’ll save over the years, and how warm you will be!

If you have a chimney flue that is not round, simply measure the width and the depth of the flue at it's most narrow point. Compare your measurements to the chart below and choose the corresponding Chimney Sheep from the Sizing Chart Colour Key below.

If you have a round flue, you want a round sheep that is an inch or so larger than the flue.

If you have any other shaped flue, measure the depth and width of the nearest narrowest part. Don’t worry if it’s an odd shape, just measure the widest bits and the wool felt will squash in to fit.

While you’re in there, check the height above the fireplace. The Sheep comes with a 6” (150mm) handle and 6” (150mm) extension rod, and can be extended another 12”. More than that and the extensions get a bit of a wobble on them. It’s easier to fit a large sheep lower down than a small sheep high up.

It’s very important that the handle is long enough – firstly because it’s a lot easier to put in, and secondly the end of the handle must show in the fireplace so that no-one inadvertently lights a fire with the Sheep in place.

If you have a square, oblong, D-shaped, trapezium shaped or similar use the sizing chart below to help you. Remember that a round sheep will squash into a trapezium or oblong hole.

Just push the wool head into the narrow part of the flue. You may need to tug it down gently to ensure a good fit. That’s it.

When you want to remove it, pull gently in case there is any debris collected on it that has fallen down the chimney. Tap any loose soot into the fireplace, and put it in a bag.

For more information please contat one of our Chimney Sheep 'Shepherds' at More Handles who will be happy to help;

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